A place for readers to explore, participate, and discover something new.
Welcome to The Reading Room, the interactive side of Blue Crab Books.
Here you can take part in reader challenges, test your literary knowledge, vote on future features, discover seasonal reading recommendations, explore our Featured Book, and join conversations about the books we love.
Come back often—there will always be something new to read, try, or talk about.
Featured Book – The Murder at the Vicarage
This month we’re featuring a beloved Crime & Mystery classic – Agatha Christie’s The Murder at the Vicarage.
This is the 1930 novel that introduced Miss Marple to readers in her first full-length mystery. The story takes place in the charming and tranquil English village of St. Mary Mead. There is something irresistible about a mystery set in a seemingly quiet English village. And Christie knew this perfectly.
Then there is a murder at the vicarage. And watching it all is Jane Marple. Miss Marple isn’t the kind of detective who storms into a room and takes charge. She watches. She listens. And she remembers.
Come in and take a seat and prepare for a visit to St. Mary Mead.
Discover The Murder at the Vicarage
Literary Quote
Each month, we share a memorable line from our Featured Book.
Anyone who murdered Colonel Protheroe … would be doing the world at large a favour!”
— Agatha Christie, The Murder at the Vicarage
Literary Quote video
Reader Challenge
This Month: September Crime & Mystery Challenge
Create a downloadable PDF tracker with about 8 prompts, and let readers complete any 5 of 8. Possible prompts include reading a cozy mystery, reading a classic detective story, reading a mystery by a woman author, reading a story set in a small town or village, reading a mystery published before 1950, and reading a book featuring an amateur detective.
Button: Join the Challenge → downloads the PDF tracker.
Below it: Already finished?
Button: Complete the Challenge Form → opens or jumps to a short Forminator completion form.
The form should record things such as number of prompts completed, books read, favorite prompt, whether they would participate again, and an optional comment. No email notification is necessary; Forminator stores the results.
[Complete the Challenge Form]
Test Your Knowledge
This Month: How Well Do You Know The Murder at the Vicarage
Try this month’s short literary quiz and see how well you know the featured book, author, characters, or literary theme. Your results appear as soon as you finish.
This Month: How Well Do You Know Dracula?
[Take the Quiz]
Reader’s Choice
Your turn to choose.
Vote on a future Featured Book, reading challenge, discussion topic, or literary theme. We’ll share the results in The Book Stack newsletter.
[Cast Your Vote]
Seasonal Reading
Looking for your next book?
Explore reading lists inspired by the season, literary themes, and Blue Crab Books collections—from Gothic classics for autumn evenings to mysteries, adventures, women’s classics, and more.
[Explore the Reading List]
Join the Conversation
The Reading Room is designed to be more than a place to browse. Take a challenge, answer a poll, test yourself with a quiz, vote for what comes next, or discover a book you might never have chosen on your own.
Then see what readers chose, read, and discovered in The Book Stack, our free newsletter.
[Join The Book Stack]
A little literary inspiration for your inbox.